A devoted Stones fan through the decades
Having been a true-blue Stones fan since childhood, I've seen the band many times -- not just in Boston, but in Lynn, London, Hartford, Syracuse, Philadelphia, and Chicago. I regret missing their Sir Morgan's Cove show in Worcester in 1981 (no media were allowed) and their famed Boston Garden show in 1972, which started four hours late because Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were detained in a Warwick, R.I., jail after Richards allegedly slugged a photographer at the airport. But of the shows I've seen, these are the most unforgettable:
Manning Bowl, Lynn, 1966: Imagine a nice boy from suburban Boston at his first Stones gig. Then imagine a small riot 20 minutes into it when fans rushed the flimsy stage and police unleashed tear gas, causing the Stones to jump into two cars and disappear. When the show ended prematurely, fans started throwing wooden chairs around the field. Full disclosure: I hurled a couple of chairs myself.
Hyde Park, London, 1969: An estimated 400,000 fans turned out for this date, which took place a week after troubled Stone Brian Jones died in his swimming pool. It was the debut of guitarist Mick Taylor and was highlighted by a torrid jam on ''Sympathy for the Devil." Jagger had asked fans to bring tin cans to bash during the song as percussion. This was the Stones in their prime -- and only a few months before the tragedy of Altamont, where a fan was killed.
Hartford Civic Center, 1981: The Stones went on 90 minutes late but rallied with a hit-laden set featuring Jagger being hoisted over the crowd in a cherry picker during ''Jumpin' Jack Flash."
Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, 1989: The ''Steel Wheels" tour was the first Stones trek in eight years. Jagger was 46 going on 18, racing around on the catwalks. The stage -- dotted with girders and steam vents -- was an appropriate setting for the psychedelic ''2000 Light Years From Home." But it was the R&B tunes, including ''Harlem Shuffle," that captivated the crowd.
Sullivan Stadium, 1989: Continuing its ''Steel Wheels" tour, the Stones became the first act to do a three-night stadium run in the Boston market (grossing $1.6 million per show, another record at the time). The kinetic ''Start Me Up" opened the set, but it was the country song ''Dead Flowers" and the stone-cold blues ''Little Red Rooster" that were transcendent. The Stones unveiled 50-foot inflatable female dolls during ''Honky Tonk Women," and Jagger was hoisted far above the stage to belt out ''Sympathy for the Devil."
Foxboro Stadium, 1994: Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were spotted before the show with former J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf. These Boston rock royals had grown up on the Stones, who didn't disappoint during this stop on their ''Voodoo Lounge" tour. They had vastly improved upon the tour debut that I caught in Washington, D.C., the month before. A big reason was the addition of ''Wild Horses," which transfixed the crowd. The band also had inflatable props: Elvis Presley and a woman with a devil's tail.
Foxboro Stadium, 1997: It was October, and the temperature was in the low 40s. ''I know it's cold, but we're going to heat it up," said Jagger. And they did, with romps through ''Gimme Shelter," ''19th Nervous Breakdown," ''Under My Thumb," and ''Sister Morphine." They also unveiled a 127-foot metal bridge that connected to a B stage, where they pounded out Chuck Berry's ''Little Queenie" and ''You Got Me Rocking."
FleetCenter, 2002: Opening their ''Forty Licks" tour here, the Stones played to an international press corps but connected with core fans, setting a bar-band tone. They started with ''Street Fighting Man" (who would have expected that working-class tune, since tickets were priced up to $350?) and included the ''Stray Cat Blues" and four unexpected songs from 1972's ''Exile on Main Street."
The Orpheum Theatre, 2002: The Stones played three Boston shows in the same week: at the FleetCenter, Gillette Stadium, and the Orpheum. The FleetCenter gig was the best, but the Orpheum was a connoisseur's delight: The group dug out ''Parachute Woman" from 1968's ''Beggars Banquet" and ''Hand of Fate" from 1976's ''Black and Blue." It was also exciting to hear the soul standard ''Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" and hear the band jam with opener Buddy Guy.
FleetCenter, 2003: Still cruising on the ''Licks" tour, the Stones shook up their set list and delivered another gem. They tackled 1969's ''Let It Bleed," and it was thrilling to hear ''Gimme Shelter," ''Midnight Rambler," and ''Monkey Man." Another bonus was Bob Dylan's ''Like a Rolling Stone."
